Sealed receptacle



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Aug. 15, 1939. E. H. FABRICE 2,169,686

SEALED REGEPTACLE Filed March 31, 1937 Patented Aug. 15,1939 I 2,169,686

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEALED RECEPTAOLE Edward H. Fabrice, Chicago, 111., assignor to Guardian Safety Seal Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 31, 1937, Serial No. 133,957

1 Claim. (01. 215-46) This invention has for its main object to procally obviate the refilling of the empty bottles vide so-called tamper-proof sealed receptacles with bootleg liquor or other beverage.

comprising receptacles and sealing caps there- The invention may be variously embodied, and for, the latter composed of a resilient sheet metal, in the accompanying drawing several exemplary 5 such as sheet aluminum, aluminum alloy, or the embodiments thereof are illustrated. 5

like, which. are required to be severed into two In said drawing, or more parts in order to eifect unsealing of the Fig. 1 is a perspective View showing the cap receptacle and which are characterized and disof this invention in its unfinished state distinguished from the prior art in several essential posed above a neck of a bottle constructed in particulars, as follows: accordance with the invention. 10

(1) That they are applicable only to recep- Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a bottle neck and tacles such as bottles, equipped with special sealing cap, respectively, constructed in accordformations adapted to cooperate with parts of ance with the invention, the cap being mounted the caps for preventing unsealing of the recepon the bottle to seal the latter.

tacle otherwise than by severing the caps into a Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 illustrating 15 plurality of parts. another or modified embodiment of the inven- (2) To provide the bottle, or other receptacle, tion. and the sealing cap for the same with preformed Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the cooperating formations. which are telescopically cap of Fig. 3 mounted upon the bottle in sealing engaged with each other as a primary step in the condition. y 20 production of a sealed receptacle for preventing Long practice and experience in the art to rotation of the cap relatively to the receptacle which the invention relates, has demonstrated in at least the direction required to effect unthat the sealing caps need only. to be held against sealing of said receptacle. loosening under the combined influences of han- (3) In providing receptacles equipped adjadling, vibration and variations in temperatures 25 cent their discharge ends with formations, such in order to prevent leakage before they reach the as screw-threads or bayonetjoint formations, consumer. Hence, the connection between the which constitute the equivalent of mandrels crown portions and base portions of the caps utilized as a means for effecting the formations may be so weak and delicate as to permit them in the cap after the latter is mounted upon the to be separated from each other very easily in 30 receptacle as aforesaid for cooperation with said digitally effecting unsealing of the bottle or other last-named formations of the bottle, to prevent receptacles to which said caps are applied. relative longitudinal movement of receptacle and Heretofore it has been common practice to cap for unsealing the latter and which, therefore, provide the sealing caps of the so-called tampercooperate with the first-mentioned telescopically proof and severable type with annular tear-out 35 interengaged formations to prevent all relative strips between their ends which are integral parts movement between the cap and the receptacle. 0f the caps and are bordered by weakening for- (4) In providing the crown portion of the cap mations such as are illustrated and described with formations which afford a strong digital in the patents to W. A. Stattmann, Nos.

' grip thereon such as will enable a woman or 1,481,034 and 1,481,035. But as these tear-out 40 child to effect unsealing of the receptacle'withstrips are required 110 be of appreciable Width in out resortto any other operation, the crown por- Order to leave them Strong enough 0 obviate tion of the cap being then operable to unseal and their tearing apart during the remOVal o reseal the receptacle at will they are not well adapted for inclusion in the (5) Toso Shape the Sealing cap as m the per shorter caps now preferred by the liquor trade 5 tion thereof cooperating with formations on the to fit short-neck bottles because if used in the a latter, the thread formations of the bottle and bottle n..ck for preventing relative rotation of the crown portions Orthe caps would be Short the bottle and cap in a direction to unseal the Y former as will distinguish the cap easily and radif i g z' gf igz zi g' gggg 5 231. 22; gg ifii 50 Cally from other bottle seahng caps m a manner longer threads. In some instances a very secure tangibly appregiable to touch and eye and, resealing is required and in most instances it is 3 t0 S0 Shape the p a to render them preferred and, therefore, the omission of the diffiflult to reproduce c p at great eXpenSe for tear-out or rip-strip above referred to and the special t o s an q p nt and t usp a isubstitution of a plurality of spaced apart ar- 55 above-referred to are old in the art and are interchangeable in practically all types of tamperproof severable caps without lending to or destroying the novelty of other features of construction.

It is also very desirable that it shall be easily determinable by the consumer whether the bottle was unsealed before being delivered to him and to this end the bottles and caps embodying the present invention are so formed and designed as to render easy the detection by the consumer of the fact that the bottle has been unsealed before delivery to him and, further, it is very desirable that the sealed structure shall present a distinctively different appearance than is common to the general run of scaled bottles in order that the consumer mayrecognize the genuine nature of the particular brand of liquor or other product which he is accustomed topurchase by the distinctive appearance and tangibly appreciable structural characteristics of the sealing means, and shall not be dependent upon only the labels on the bottles to determine the original of the contents. The latter are too readily and generally reproduced by illicit dealers to render them reliable as a means of identification of origin. Thus, the cooperating sealing means of the bottle and cap of distinctive form and appearance constitutes more or less the equivalent of a trademark of the producer. 7

Another and unusual object of the present invention is to produce a sealing cap of the type specified which presents difliculties of manufacture so that it cannot be produced cheaply except in large quantities and by means of special and expertly designed equipment costing a great deal, as this constitutes the greatest safeguard against manufacture of the caps in the small quantities required by illicit dealers, usually termed-bootleggers"-who purchase discarded empty bottles from junk dealers, fill them with cheap product and sell them through illicit channels. It is well known that this illicit trade can obtain labels (duplicating those of original producers) and can also obtain from small shops the necessary lots of caps, such as are illustrated in the above-mentioned Stattmann patents and. also in the Fabrice Patent No. 1,771,034, because they are relatively easily produced by ordinary shop equipment and relatively simple dies and tools at a price that the large legitimate producer or bottler would deem prohibitive, but which the bootlegger will pay because the sale of his product is dependent largely upon duplication of the original package as to every detail of its appearance. The secrecy of the bootleggers operations is extended to the makers of the caps and labels who are as diflicult to trace as the average clever criminal.

Therefore, the protection of the public against fraud and deception, as well as protection of the originator of the genuine product, is greatly increased by placing every possible obstacle in the path of the bootlegger in the matter of close imitation of original packages, the greatest obstacle being prohibitive cost of the tamper-proof sealing cap.

Another object of the present invention is to provide caps which, while fundamentally alike, may be produced in a large variety of different shapes or designs to fit bottles specially made to receive the respectively different shapes of caps, as this enables each of a number of producers of different brands and types of products to enjoy the exclusive right to purchase and use one of the several different shapes of bottles and caps, the adoption of any one of these being usually dependent upon the enjoyment of an exclusive license by the purchaser.

Hence, the present invention affords a means whereby the use of tamper-proof caps may be vastly increased and the best interests of the consuming public promoted.

In the structure of Figs. 1-3 inclusive, the bottle neck is equipped with interrupted threads 45 at diametrically opposite sides. Below said threaded portion said neck is equipped with annular rib or collar formations 46 provided with recesses 41 disposed in vertical alignment with the spaces between the thread formations 45.

The cap 48 is of a diameter in its crown portion to snugly fit telescopically over the threads 45 of the neck, the lower end of the cap being annularly slightly enlarged to provide an in creased diameter skirt portion 49. The latter is equipped at diametrically opposite points with arcuate removable panel formations 50, each of which is bordered by a U-shaped scoring 5| for weakening the metal. One end of said panel formation 50 is completely severed from the skirt portion 49 by means of a U-shaped incision or slit 52 which borders a digitally engageable tongue 53.

In the body portion of the panel formation 50 there is formed an inwardly projecting box-like formation 54 which fits telescopically into the recess 41 and serves to hold the cap against rotation relatively to the bottle neck.

In the crown portion of the cap 48 at diametrically opposite sides thereof and spaced arcuately from the panel members 50 are two panel formations 55 in which thread formations 56 are formed after the cap is mounted upon the bottle neck and while said cap is held compressed upon the rim of the bottle mouth.

The thread formations 56 of the panels 55 prevent longitudinal movement of the cap relatively to the bottle neck and thus cooperate with the recess 47 and the box-formation 54 to hold the cap rigidly against movement relatively to the bottle until the said panel members 50 are removed or torn out of the structure at both sides of the cap and thereupon the cap may be rotated for removal and replacement.

Obviously in the case of the structure of Figs. 1-3, a single panel member 50 and a single recess 41 will suffice.

As shown in Fig. 4, the box-like formation 54, shown in Fig. 3, may consist of a similar forma tion 51 of triangular shape in plan view instead of rectangular shape illustrated in Fig. 3, which will likewise prevent rotation of the cap counterclockwise for effecting its removal from the bottle neck.

While in the several structures shown and described the receptacles are bottles or bottle necks, it will be understood, of course, that the bottle necks illustrated are merely exemplary of receptacles of any kind adapted to be sealed by means of sealing caps constructed in accordance with the invention and which cooperate with corresponding formations on the receptacles to efiect sealing of the latter.

It will be understood, of course, that the several embodiments of the invention herein illustrated and described, are merely exemplary of a substantially infinite number of embodiments thereof differing from each other in appearance but all of which embody the structural characteristics of the structures shown and described.

I claim as my invention."

A sealed receptacle comprising a receptacle equipped with an externally threaded mouth portion, the threads of which are interrupted at diametrically opposite points to provide free spaces between the opposed ends of the thread formations, an annular outwardly projecting bead disposed on the bottle neck below the threads thereof and equipped at diametrically opposite points with recesses disposed in alignment with the spaces between the opposed ends of the threads and each of said recesses presenting a side wall constituting a stop formation, a sealing cap mounted on said receptacle and having an annularly enlarged base portion telescopioffset laterally from said tongue of said rip-strip and engaged with thread formations of the receptacle at one side of the space between the opposed ends of said thread formations, the length of the thread formations of the cap being substantially equal to the length of the lastmentioned free space, whereupon by rotating said cap counter-clockwise for a distance substantially equal to the length of the. threads therein, said cap may be removed following removal of the rip strip.

EDWARD H. FABRICE. 

